The international community has lauded Chinese President Xi Jinping's first visit to Africa as the head of state and his attendance at a summit of BRICS nations, saying he sent a positive signal of friendship, cooperation, mutual benefit and win-win results to the whole world.

Analysts say Xi's Africa trip, which included Tanzania, South Africa and the Republic of the Congo, shows China attaches importance to the continent and has determination to devote itself to the mutually beneficial cooperation between China and Africa.

Xi also attended the fifth summit of the BRICS countries, namely Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, held from Tuesday to Wednesday in the South African port city of Durban.

Experts say China's participation in the BRICS cooperation mechanism will promote the development of the whole world including Africa.

Highlighting traditional friendship with Africa

Fengxiang Qiao, a professor at the U.S. Texas Southern University, said Xi, in his speech, expounded the China-Africa relations from a historical and future perspective.

Africa had suffered from colonialism and neocolonialism for a long time, he said, adding that China has always been a true friend of the African people.

China and Africa share similar experiences, common development tasks and strategic interests, which link the two peoples even more closely with sincere friendship, mutual respect, equality and mutual benefit, Qiao said.

Just like what Xi had said in his speech in Tanzania, China will be for ever a "reliable friend and sincere partner" of Africa, he said.

Sabelo Mavikinduku Ngwenya, a Johannesburg-based political commentator and an international relations expert, said Xi's visit shows that China is an all-weather friend of South Africa and Africa.

"President Xi Jinping's visit to South Africa is a testimony to China's commitment to the two countries' brotherly relations that were formally established in 1998," Ngwenya told Xinhua in a recent interview.

"This visit is a further confirmation that China is South Africa and Africa's friend of all seasons and an equal partner to be relied on at all times," he said.

The partnership between China and Africa was established on the basis of equality and China is playing an important role as Africa's partner, Ngwenya said.

Phyllis Johnson, executive director of the Harare-based Southern Africa Research and Documentation Center, said Xi's Africa visit shows that the new Chinese leadership attaches importance to the China-Africa relations.

Under the new Chinese leadership, the China-Africa relations will move forward on the strength of the rapid development recorded in the past 10 years, Johnson said.

Cooperation between China and Africa enjoys broad prospects, and Africa can learn from China's development model and experience, Johnson said.

Win-win China-Africa cooperation

Mahmoud Allam, former Egyptian ambassador to China, said Xi assured African governments and people that China will be a staunch supporter of Africa's prosperity, stability and security.

Xi also stressed the mutually beneficial friendship between China and Africa, asserting that bilateral cooperation will produce win-win results, Allam said.

Martin Nguru, a lecturer at the Institute of Diplomacy and International Studies of University of Nairobi, said China and Africa, as Xi put it, have been "a community of shared destinies" and that China's participation in African affairs will help African countries realize their "African dream."

China, as the second largest economy in the world, calls for equality and opposes hegemonism. This has greatly encouraged African countries in their efforts to safeguard sovereignty and independence, Nguru said.

Cheng Li, director of research and senior fellow of the John L. Thomton China Center at The Brookings Institution, said Xi's speeches in Africa sent a message that China's investment in Africa, plus their trade and economic cooperation, would yield win-win results for both sides, instead of benefits for only one party.

China will never extract resources on the continent, but rather facilitate common development through complementarity, he said.